The Death of Destiny
by Sage of the Chuchus
Summary: In a world filled with technology, greed, and a distinct lack of magic, Link had always been a daydreamer. He's skeptical of what tales remain of the heroes of old, but has dreamed of going on an adventure but is trapped by a lack of funds and the landlock of his town. A stroke of luck will allow him and his closest friend the chance of a lifetime, if they are willing to take it.
1. Trapped in Stagnation

It was not an uncommon thing to see Link yawning in history, or in any other class for that matter. He wasn't a morning person, and tended to stay up late into the night. He managed to get by in school, though barely.

Saria, his childhood friend, shook her head at the yawn that drew the attention of half the kids in the class. She had naturally green hair, a sweet smile, and was much more healthy in her loved to read in the public parks and on the rooftop garden of the library. Camping, hiking, and gardening were her favorite things to do, and she often dragged Link along on her adventures. He was tolerant of them, but had little real interest. He was more than happy to go out of his way to spend time with Saria, though,so it made the trips worth it.

The teen, dressed in a plain green t-shirt and tan pants, glared balefully at the clock. Ten more minutes to go and he was free to go home for ten minutes, then straight off to work.

Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his name. "Link, since you look so engaged, perhaps you could tell me the reason we don't have much left of the people of Hyrule's history past a few hundred years?"

The teen frowned at his bird-like teacher. The Rito, Professor Gullon, has a constantly stern expression and incredible vision. He was liked by almost all his students, but was a bit stricter than most teachers. He was also a source of much curiosity amongst students, as the Rito were generally a reclusive race not seen oft in New Hyrule.

Link leaned back in his chair. "There was a flood, correct?"

The Rito smirked. "Yes, as is common knowledge. But less common is why no history was kept between then and the founding of New Hyrule."

"Everyone was too busy worrying about more flooding?" there was a collective giggle throughout the room.

"No, Link. There was no central government and no place to keep records. All that really survived was the legend of the green-clothed hero. The Hero of Winds himself is fabled to be a descendant of the old hero."

"If either of them existed…"

"What do you mean…?" The RIto didn't seem angry, merely curious and Link sighed.

"I mean that there's no proof either even existed, just stories. I mean, people say that the old hero traveled in time and prevented an apocalypse, and the Hero of Winds raised a Temple from the Sea. I find that a bit hard to believe."

The old Rito nodded slowly. "There was a time when no one questioned the plausibility of these tales."

"There was also a time when your people were post workers, and when people wore tunics and when people all believed in magic triangles. Will all due respect, sir, I don't buy it. I love fantasy, but that's all it is: fantasy."

"Okay." The birdman smiled. "I'll respect that. But is it important to know these stories, at least?"

Link was silent for a moment, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Saria watched him with an unreadable look in her eyes and when he noticed her focus he nodded, not looking away from her. "Yes. Not only is it a source of inspiration, it gives New Hyrule a consistent link to it's past. The heroes have been glorified for years, and they're all connected and give Hyrule an identity, like the green we have on our flag. The old hero, the Wind Waker, the Conductor of Spirit. They probably existed in some form, but likely represent multiple divisions of knights who did heroic things, not a single child. The heroes represent our lost past and don't let us completely forget our humble origins." It was half bullshit, but Link found himself pleased that he could adequately defend the importance of the legends he, and Saria, held in high regard.

Pleased, Professor Gullon was about to comment, when the bell ring and the room was immediately filled with metal-on-tile scrapes as teens rushed to gather their stuff. "Hold it!" the teacher squawked. The students all froze, some halfway to the door, some halfway through cramming their stuff into schoolbags, and some halfway between sitting and standing. "Homework over the weekend-" the class groaned collectively and the professor raised his voice over them "Will be to write a short paper on what your favorite stories are and their importance in society. I won't give you a minimal requirement in length, but I do want to see a meaningful point made." This was met with more groaning. "It can be a single paragraph if you know what you're doing. This said, have a wonderful break!"

He was left with a collective cheer and smiles, already a good start to his own break.

Saria and Link walked down the hall together like always, Link listening quietly to his childhood friend. "I read an amazing book the other day!" She informed him and received an encouraging nod. "It talked about spirits called the Korok that live on a forest island on the great sea. Only a few people have seen them, and it's rumored that the Hero of Wind was one of them…" she dropped off awkwardly as she remembered Link's reasonings in class. "So, you really don't believe in the Heroes?" she asked, immediately curious.

"I think they represent the collective deeds of a bunch of knights at different times, I don't think anyone is or was capable of saving an entire kingdom. And the magic bit is just hyperbole."

She nodded, but her eyes became sad. "I guess that makes sense."

Link frowned at her sudden quietness. "I'm not saying it's impossible, just unlikely. I mean, wouldn't magic still be around if it existed?"

"Maybe people just can't see it anymore!" She suggested, suddenly gaining verbal momentum. "I mean, people are so concerned with money and games and work and construction, isn't it possible that we've just isolated ourselves from it?"

This stunned Link into silent contemplation as they boarded a bus bound for their neighbourhood. Saria didn't mind, just going on excitedly. "I think if people sought it out, they could find it! Oh, Link, let's go to that island!"

He raised his eyebrows at her, skeptical and amused. "Saria, how? I have a job, we don't have the money to go to the sea and rent a boat, and do we even have the slightest idea where this island might be?"

"Link, I know you don't believe in magic, but I do. We'd find a way! It'll be an adventure!"

The word 'adventure' stirred something nostalgic in Link. How often had his imagination turned the park into a vast field he traversed on horseback or the balcony in his house into the deck of a great ship careening about in the ocean? He'd always had a vivid imagination and dreams, but the last few years had crunched his spare time into non-existence. Between homework, a job, and his parkour lessons, the time he used to devote to his mind had been sold to the fantasy MMOs he played and the occasional book. 'Master of the Amulets' series and it's prequel, 'The Kokiri' were his favorites, and he'd almost ended up taking fencing classes because of them. It hadn't worked out, however, so he'd turned to a local parkour group his friend set up for both exercise and to satisfy the adventurous side of him. A smile appeared on his lips as he remembered the free feeling of his hobby, leaping over gaps and running up walls as if he had winged shoes. Perhaps setting sail wouldn't be bad, and with his oldest friend by his side…

His phone ringing made the vision crash down and reminded him of the hundreds of issues with just running off. "Saria, people can't just run off on adventures anymore - it doesn't work like that. The closest thing is vacations or books." He answered the call and tried to ignore the way his friend's shoulders visibly sagged.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Fairy Boy!"

Link inwardly groaned. His boss was calling him? This couldn't be good. Why haden;t he checked the caller ID?

"Mr. Tingle, what a surprise. What's up?" Saria's blue eyes glanced at Link curiously, her positive demeanor overriding her disappointment for the moment.

""Well, Mr. Faerie, you're a lucky, lucky boy!"

Goddesses, he hated his surname. "I've told you, Link is fine." he suggested disheartenedly. Saria giggled, quickly deducing the reason for Link's assertion of his name.

"We're doing renovations! I know you have summer break, so you'll be happy to know that the remodeling will give you a couple months off, you're completely free after today!"

Link blinked in complete surprise. "A couple months off?"

"Yes Sirree! You can thank me b loaning me some of your family's magical secrets!"

How his boss had started three of the most popular fast food chains in the world was beyond Link. The man was 35, yet had the mind of a whimsical 6-year-old. He seemed to believe full-heartedly that Link's last name, 'Faerie' implied supernatural heritage. It didn't. It came from part of his lineage that used to guard shrines dedicated to the creatures. His mom's side had come from a line of knights, the occupation becoming their familial name as well, but of course it was tradition to take the male's name. Regardless of this, Mr. Tingle insisted that Link share the secrets passed down from his fairy relatives at least once every time they spoke. Really, the head of McTingles, Taco Tingle, and TIngles Pizza should be more mature, but he was happy, so no one really cared. Except Link, who was exasperated by the Fairy thing. He guessed he was lucky that the founder was so friendly and down-to-earth enough to actually manage his own location, but he wished Tingle was more down-to-earth in other respects.

"The most magical secret my family has is Grandma's soup recipe…" he tried half-heartedly.  
>Tingle giggled. "Oh, don't worry, I won't pry. I wouldn't want your magical wrath upon me!"<p>

Link dropped his head onto the back of the empty chair in front of him. Saria stifled laughter beside him.

"Oh, I have to go! My dad came to visit. See you soon, Fairy Boy!" The boss hung up before Link could ask about pay over the leave, so he just sighed and slid the phone shut.

"Link, you just got two whole months off work, that's enough time to find the island…" Saria suggested, her eyes glittering with reluctant hope.

Her male companion leaned back in his chair. "We'll see, Saria. I just don't think it can happen." he said, feeling that it really couldn't. The news of not working in two months brought him joy, however, so his mood was willing to placate Saria's dream just that little bit.

She smiled. "Okay! I'm going to go to the meadow for a bit when we get home, but I'll stop by your work later!"

"Okay," Link reflected the happy looks, glad for the promised company until her look faltered. "What?"

"Is Zelda going to be there?" Saria asked, a slight tint of worry in her voice.

The green-clad boy tried to remember the other girl's schedule. "Yeah, I think so." he relented cautiously, as Saria always seemed nervous around the blond. "you'll still come though, right?"

She smiled again, though it was noticeably smaller than before. "Of course."

"Great!" Link grinned and settled back into his seat. Saria laughed. "Is it that boring?" She asked, leaning her head against him comfortably. He closed his eyes and grunted in affirmation, taken back to days past when they hadn't a care in the world and could sit like this against a tree and talk for hours. Now though, they sat in silence as the growling of the bus drew them inward, Saria daydreaming of finding that island and Link caught up in memories and in what Saira had said about being closed off to magic. He may not be able to take her to the great sea, but at very least they could go camping over the summer wasn'like they had much time to do it left either. Both turned 18 before the next summer break and their lives were directed in very different directions. Saria loved the arts, and was very skilled at them musically and visually. She planned to study art hands-on in different parts of New Hyrule whilst Link wanted to stay and make his way developing games, if he could. Neither ever talked about the looming separation, and neither wanted to break the illusion of the eternal unity that as children had seemed a solid entity and now was dissolving into something neither could define. '_Don't dwell on the future, live every moment with full-hearted passion'_ Saria had told him once over a chess game when they were 12. She'd chuckled and added '_Though, I suppose chess is an exception. You need to think ahead or something like this will happen.' _and she'd taken Link's queen with a well-placed knight. Link had been winning until that point, and once his queen was taken he made a valiant effort to recover, but it had been in vain.

Memories and comfortable moments like this were becoming too obscure for either of their liking.

When they got to their stop they parted with a hug and went their separate ways.


	2. How May I Take Your Order?

**Hello, all! This is your author, Sage of the Chuchus, speaking. You can just call me Tetra, as some of my friends do. Now, I'll keep this short and sweet, but I feel I should explain this fic. I've always been enthralled with fantasy and daydreaming, and I've always felt the real world was so artificial, jut a play. I think someone with the blood of a hero would feel even more out-of-place, so I decided to write this as both a tribute to the magic in life and to everyone with an adventurer's heart.**

Link dashed into his house to grab his uniform. Black pants, a green uniform shirt with a small emblemized "T" in red on the breast, and a baseball cap. He changed quickly and grabbed a bite to eat and a jacket before dashing out again. He jogged down two blocks to his work through a pleasantly warm evening and braced himself before pushing open the glass door.

He was hit with a breath of warmer air than outside and made his way through some customers in line, stepping behind the counter and signing in with the register.

"Fairy Boy!" Tingle exclaimed happily when he saw Link. Link gave him a half-hearted smile in return. "Hi, Mr. Tingle."

The short man bounced over. "Are you excited to hear what renovations we're doing?"

"Uh, sure. Tell me where I'm stationed first, please."

"I've got you on front counter, so we can chat!" He explained

Link nodded and started to take orders while Tingle told him about the repainting and the new chairs and booths he was ordering. The people in line were slightly impatient and constant, so Link was kept busy collecting their food, taking orders,and cleaning the lobby until the dinner rush subsided at around 8:30.

The two people working windows in the drive through came out of the secluded hall to socialize now that things had settled down. Tingle was busy in the back with something, so Link turned his full attention to his coworkers. Zelda, a young woman a year older than himself, and Anju, a red-haired and kind woman emerged. Zelda took off her visor and held it in her teeth to tighten her ponytail, a headset around her neck, while Anju noticed the fries were dwindling and put more in the frier. Behind them, a cacoffiny of beeps and clicks from the cooking machinery could be heard, but the noises faded into the background after months of working alongside them.

"Hi, Zelda." Link greeted with a smile.

The blond nodded and pulled her visor from her teeth. "Hi, Link. I hear you're finally on break."

Anju smiled at the pair and went to the back where steps leading into the basement were accessible. She busied herself stocking what was needed in order to let the two blonds talk.

"Yeah. two months." he supplied with a shrug, leaning against the counter.

Zelda came to lean beside him. "What are you going to do with all the spare time?"

He shrugged. "I don't have any plans."

"Maybe we could hang out? My family has a huge estate, and with my dad working all the time and my mom on the other side of Hyrule, it gets lonely."

Link nodded. "Sure."

"Awesome!" Zelda looked genuinely happy and the smile traveled to Link as well, though less noticeably.

There was a sudden draft and both looked up to the door where a green-haired girl had entered. She had a green jacket on, as well as a black scarf that matched her boots. scarf. In her hand was a hand-knit blue scarf with a red emblem on it. Her cheeks were slightly flushed from the cold wind.

"It got windy really fast!" She commented, stepping up to the counter.

Link smiled. Zelda shrugged at Saria. "We wouldn't have noticed. The only breeze in here comes from the ice cream machine when it ventilates."

"Well, you'll notice when your shift ends. It's really cold considering it's almost summer!" Saria said with a smiled greeting. "Link, I brought your scarf."

"Thanks Saria." he nodded to a seat not far from the counter. "Sit down, I'll get you something." He grabbed a tray and set it on the counter, collecting a box of fries and a hot chocolate before bringing it out to her and sitting down in the seat next to her.

She tanked him and sipped the hot chocolate while a sudden beep in her headset alerted Zelda that she needed to take a drive through order and she scurried back into the hall to the computer.

"I can't wait to be home." Link said with a yawn, stealing a warm fry.

Sara nodded. "You'll be home soon, there's only 20 minutes left in your shift and you don't seem particularly busy." her tone held gently scolding for his casual behavior but he only shrugged. "Nothing for me to do."

"Anju seems to be working." She pointed out as the redhead started to assemble the car's order as the chef put it out.

"Anju is responsible."

Saria rolled her eyes. "Anju is trying to keep her job."

"It's not like I need the money." he pointed out. "And Mr. Tingle doesn't care. Besides I'm on front counter and it's a ghost town in here."

"Well, I guess. You could still help though."

"The order is out already."

Both the teens looked up as a third person joined them. Zelda had escaped the boundaries of the counter.

"Hello again." She said, obviously directed at Link. The male nodded and Saria said hi anyway.

Things settled into a slightly awkward silence and Link noticed Saria looking a bit disappointed, like she'd wanted to talk to him in private. He was about to say something when Mr. Tingle came trotting out from behind the counter and approached them.

"Link, you're free to go! I hope you enjoy your break!" He said cheerfully. "Zelda, you too. I'm closing up early."

"Thanks, sir!" SHe said, obviously pleased, as she'd been scheduled another hour.

They both stood up and Link told Saria to hang tight for a minute as he went to the register and punched out. Zelda did the same and then they went to get their jackets from the back, her's a long pink trench coat and his a pain green hoodie.

"See you soon." Zelda said with a smile.

Link hummed in agreement and they returned to the lobby. Saria had finished her hot chocolate and was picking at her fries while she waited. When he returned she handed off his scarf and offered him the rest of the fries, which he took without question. He'd retrieved a large and Saria tried to avoid fast food, so he'd assumed she wouldn't finish them.

They walked out together and Link gave a low whistle as the chill hit him. It wasn't too cold, but the wind made it unpleasant as they walked uphill the two blocks to their street. It was a silent trip between them, the sounds of cars driving by was enough of an ambiance to make it comfortable until they turned the corner onto Outset Lane.

"It'll be nice to have some time off." Link said. "We'll have more time together, we've both been so busy lately."

"I agree." His companion sighed "Me with my art classes and you with your job."

Conversation ceased again until they reached Saria's house, Link's being half a block yet.

"Goodnight. See you tomorrow." Link told her.

She smiled distractedly. "You too."

He was about to go but she caught his hand as he turned to leave.

"Link, my family owns an old sailing port on the bay. No one ever goes there, the boats are maintained though. Sometimes we go for the holidays on a little boat ride." she gushed suddenly.

"Sounds nice." Link said quietly, not sure what reaction she expected.

She took a breath and went on. "So we could use one of those boats. Plus I have some money saved up. I want to go somewhere with you, even if it isn't the Korok island. We could play pirates, just like we used to." she teased gently, squeezing his hand as her voice leveled out. He could have sworn he saw light from his porch reflecting in forming tear in her eyes. It reminded him of their looming future as effectively as a smack to the face.

A gentle breeze blew some hair into Link's face and he used his free hand to brush it away, breaking eye contact. He stared at the ground. "Saria, it's too much to work out right now."

"Link, I- ...I understand." She said, pulling her hand away.

"Sari-"

"Don't. Really, I understand. It was childish to think we could just up and go on a whim like that. It's not how the world works. Things have to be planed and place and thought about. Thought over intuition."

"Brain over heart." Link agreed quietly. "It's stupid, but it's the way things are."

SIlence reigned for half a minute before Link smiled gently. "Goodnight, Saria."

"Goodnight, Link." They hugged each other for a long moment and suddenly the warmth was gone, leaving both of their hearts heavy and their minds laden.

Saria went inside and Link hurried to his house, buffeted by a sudden chilly burst of wind that whistled ominously as it seemed to drive him away from his friend even faster.

**Thank you for reading! I love reviews that are full of helpful suggestions and comments, so don't be weary of adding criticism as long as it's constructive. I'd also love t hear any general thoughts or requests and I'll adapt to them accordingly! **

**My updates might take awhile, but I'll try and keep chapters short so I can churn them out faster. Thank you for understanding!**

**~The Sage of the Chuchus**


	3. The Light of a Fairy

The next day was saturday and Link was dead to the world. His grandmother gave up trying to wake him up after noon, but that's when Saria came, seeing as her texts had been ignored because of her lazy friend.

"You're the only one who can wake him up." Link's elderly guardian had once said with a chuckle.

Saria hopped up the stairs two at a time and stopped at Link's door, giving a polite knock. "Link, last chance. Time to get up!"

She waited exactly 30 seconds, then opened the door without guilt. The room was spacious and clean, if disorganised. The jacket he'd worn last night was strewn over a chair that wasn't pushed in under his computer desk and four different game controllers were strewn out on the floor in front of his tv stand, though they were the only things on the floor that weren't supposed to be there. The rest of the surfaces in his room were cluttered with various trinkets, statuettes of game characters and the like. A deck of some card game was spread on his bedside table, evidently in the middle of a modification. No doubt his room would be messier if his grandmother allowed.

Saria stepped over to the bed where only a mess of dirty blond hair was visible, as Link was on his stomach with his face turned away from the door.

The intruder giggled, placing her hands on her hips as she surveyed the situation. Link's tv was on, meaning a late night of gaming, and he was on his stomach, a position he only ever slept in when his guardian had already tried to get him up.

He was feeling stubborn and had stayed up late, leaving no room for leniency. "Hey, Link." Saria poked his back through several layers of warm blankets he undoubtedly nested into. He gave a barely-audible groan and burrowed deeper. Saria leaned and brushed aside some of his hair, unburying his long, pointed ear, immediately blowing into it as hard as she could.

Link flinched and lifted his head, blinking dazedly at his headboard and then pushed himself over enough to glared half-heartedly at her.

"Morning!" Saria said cheerfully, smiling in that innocent way of hers, tucking her hands behind her back.

Link groaned and collapsed back onto the bed.

Saria pulled back the blankets cruelly, exposing the teen's bare back. "Nope! Come on, Link."

The blond heaved an enormous sigh, but he was getting cold so he relented. "Fine." She laughed and tossed the blankets back onto him.

"Be out in five minutes." She told him, slipping out the door and closing it behind her.

'I wonder what's got her so excited.' Link thought as he pulled on acceptable clothes for the day. Normally she at least tried to give him a minute to clear the fog from his head when he slept in. He yawned and figured he'd soon find out.

Downstairs, Saria was sitting at his table, chatting happily to his grandma, who had provided the girl with a steaming drink of some sort and a plate of scrambled Cucco eggs.

"Link is finally up!" A fair-haired young girl of 12 cheered as Link entered the kitchen.

His grandma looked up as well and smiled. "Saria, you are a goddess-send." she praised as Link thumped down next to his friend heavily. He was almost immediately followed by a plate on the table, placed there by his grandma and piled high with warm eggs.

"Thanks." He grunted, still not entirely awake.

His grandmother smiled. "You're welcome, dear. Just be grateful I'll go out of my way to make you breakfast at 1:00 in the afternoon, you lazy boy!"

"Hey, look what I drew!" A piece of paper was shoved in Link's face and he took it slowly, holding it far enough away that he could actually see the picture. It was of him being attacked by swarms of the murderous fowl known as cuccos.

He raised an eyebrow. "Gee, thanks, Aryll." He said, admiring the quality of the work, though not to impressed by the subject of the piece.

"Yep! Saria game me some tips last night while you were working, but I couldn't show you since you holed up the second I got home!"

He now turned a skeptical eye to his slightly guilty-looking friend, who shrugged.

"It's really good," he relented, handing the drawing back.

Aryll smirked. "I know."

Link rolled his eyes, but Saria spoke before he could retort. "Hey, hurry up! There's something I want to show you!"

"A bit pushy today." He remarked through a bite of eggs.

A bit rude today." His grandma scolded. "Don't talk with your mouth full."

Saria laughed at his 'oops' expression and refused to answer any of his questions until he'd finished eating and they were out the door.

"So, where are we going?" Link asked for the third time that day.

Saria watched as a few robins flew by them, watching the way their wings moved as a reference for her art. "The Meadow."

"Was that your secret, going to The Meadow?" he laughed.

She shook her head. "No! It'll be there."

The Meadow was a small, secluded clearing in the wooded part of a huge nearby park. A large river ran near the clearing and the trees were thick enough to pretend they were in a real forest, which was a long-lived habit of the past. Saria felt most at peace in the Meadow, and she often went there to draw or just meditate. Asides from the occasional stray beer bottle or McTingle's fry box, nothing ever tainted the beauty of the sanctuary, which held true as they trecked over bushes and through wet dirt to reach it .

"Ta-daaa!" Saria said, pushing through the final branches into their destination.

Link looked around in wonder at what must have been a hundred of small bottles suspended from the branches of trees. Inside every bottle was a flickering candle and the flames varied in colour. Though the glass bottles were all clear, they were different shapes and sizes, and in the shade of the trees it almost seemed as if fairies could be the occupants of the containers.

"Wow…" Link muttered, taken completely aback and staring in wonder. "How long did this take you?"

"A few years collecting bottles. I hung them last night." She smiled at the awe displayed clearly on his face. "They turned out beautifully!"

He laughed, still incredulous. "They did. Why'd you do it?"

"I saw a painting of a lot of fairies in a forest and it reminded me of the games we used to play here, so I thought up away to make the painting in real life!" She laughed. "Well, as close as I could get anyway."

"You are amazing, you know that?"

"How'd you do the different colours?"

"Fake candles." She smiled. "That way they wouldn't blow out either."

After the shock of the moment wore off, the two friends sat down against their favorite tree and talked for what seemed like hourse about whatever they wanted to: tv shows, art, games, books. Eventually it settled on Link's job.

"Do you like working there?" Saria asked, amused about the fact that he'd closed his eyes some time ago and was obviously falling back asleep.

Link hummed thoughtfully. "Sometimes. My boss drives me crazy and the work is really stressful sometimes, but my co-workers are really nice and money is good to have."

"Speaking of co-workers," Saria breached apprehensively, "You seem close with Zelda."

"Yeaaahh…" Link yawned. "Close as co-workers get, I guess. Why?"

She sighed. "I think she hates me."

This startled Link enough to open his eyes and look at her in shock. Saria never said anything even slightly un-positive about other people, as she always looked for the good in everyone. An optimist if ever there was one, but not unrealistic either. She never saw the world through rose-coloured glasses, just didn't dwell on the bad. "Saria, you are the nicest person I've ever met, no one can hate you!" her friend assured.

"She never smiles at me and ignores me as much as possible. It's not really that she hates me, but I think she's jealous."

"Jealous?" Link asked cluelessly. Saria was also incredibly humble. honest, and kind. She had a normal life and normal family. Her hair colour was rare, but that was all Link could think of.

Saria smiled as she saw his thought process hit a dead-end. "Because of you." She prompted.

When no light-bulb was lit she outright laughed and threw him a lifeline. "She likes you."

That expression was even funnier. "Really, Link? I've not seen more obvious flirting since Honey and Darling left the school."

He cringed at the reminder. Honey and Darling were seniors two years ago that were never seen apart from one another and had a habit of ignoring anyone but the other. Their favorite place to publicly announce their love happened to be the fountain in the very park Saria and Link were now, though when at school the middle of the cafeteria had sufficed.

"But we're not…"

"Doesn't matter." Saria said, raising an eyebrow. "We're close. As far as she knows, friendship could tip into romantic at any moment."

"But I don't… That's not going to happen."

Saria shook her head. "I know, Link. She doesn't. Tell her, not me." He blinked and settled back against the tree.

"You're… encouraging me to?"

Saria chuckled. "If you like her. You're a brother to me, Link. As beautiful as your large, feminine eyes are, they aren't enough to change that." she teased, knowing he hated it.

"My eyes aren't feminine." He muttered half-heartedly, knowing he was fighting a losing battle. The only compliments he ever got were about his eyes, it seemed.

"Hey, Link?"

"Yes?" he responded somewhat tentatively.

Saria shifted and noticed his eyes were closed again. "I've always wondered, Zelda is rich, right?"

"Pretty much, yeah." Link had taken to looking up at one of the flickering bottles, the one nearest to him. It was a tiny, round bottle that was lit with a blue candle.

"Why does she work at McTingles?"

The teen laughed. " Pride." He went on when Saria cocked her head to the side in confusion. "Some kids at school were giving her a hard time about never having to work for anything, so she wanted to prove them wrong. Prove she's not a snob. So she got a job at McTingles. Funny thing is, apparently none of the people who teased her knows. She's happy knowing she can say to herself that she's got a job and works hard at it."

Saria smiled. "She sounds like a good person. Not that I ever doubted that she was!" the last sentence was rushed to correct herself before she was misinterpreted. "I just never knew much about her."

Link nodded and looked up at the bottle again. "I know. I doubt you've ever thought anyone was a bad person without justification, Saria."

She blushed a bit at that. "Well, I don't want to judge people wrong. It leads to a lot of problems."

"You're just too nice to think badly about people."

Her blush deepened. "Well, you're nice too."

"I can be." He grinned. "But I seem to recall other words used to describe me. 'A complete jerk'? I believe you ended our friendship for all of ten minutes before you felt guilty and apologised."

She glared. "That's not fair, Link!" she protested as he laughed.

"I stole a bottle of chocolate milk from you and it was the biggest fight we've ever had."

"I was six!"

"So why do you feel so guilty about it still?" Link laughed.

Her blush deepened. "I don't!  
>"But you do."<p>

"Whatever..." she muttered, embarrassed

They settled into a comfortable silence like the one on the bus and Link laid back comfortably, his eyes once again finding that blue bottle. He yawned and looked at it, imagining it had wings. Slowly his tired mind made the bottle-fairy more and more realistic as Link got more and more tired. Soon it was freed from its glass container and was fluttering around Link's head, a glowing blue orb with silver wings.

The forest around him seemed to glow as well, teeming with life. He looked around in wonder, the beautiful scene around him more real and vibrant than anything he'd ever imagined. It was as if he could sense a strange energy seeping into him from the environment that left a pleasant tingling throughout his whole body.

_Magic_his mind supplied. He could feel it, and his mind couldn't override that reality. Magic was real, and it resided here in this strange forest.

"Hello~!" The fairy chimed, zipping around his head in excitement. She had a girlish, musical voice that Link found soothing, like the embrace of an old and trusted friend.

"Hello." He smiled, looking at her and then around the area. "What is this place?"

The fairy seemed to laugh with delight, her orb-like appearance intensifying. "These are the Lost Woods! I can't believe you don't remember!"

"Remember? I've never been here before!" Link protested, already at complete ease around the fairy. A bubbling childishness seemed to be spreading through his whole body, he wanted to run and roll in the grass, laugh and play tag with his fairy friend. No worries or memories of his life before remained, and he was at peace with it.

"You lived here!" the fairy seemed to scold playfully. "Of course, you look different."

Link tilted his head in confusion. "Huh? How so?"

"You're clothes are wrong." was the only reply.

He looked down and noticed the jeans and t-shirt. They seemed foreign in this fantastic environment. "They are, but I don't have any more."

The fairy seemed elated. "I know where some are! Follow me!"

Link nodded and followed as the fairy zipped away. He never stumbled over the undergrowth and leaped over obstacles with practiced ease, and he could attribute it to the elating strength the magic in the air gave him.

Time was irrelevant in this place, he could have been following the fae for days and not have known it, but they came to a small clearing with a crystalline blue stream through the middle. Sun broke through the heavy foliage in luminescent beams, sending light sparkling across the water and dancing on the earthy floor where the leaves were silhouetted and shivered in a light breeze.

A chest lay in front of the stream. It was made of wood and decorated with live ivy. The wood looked alive as well, it was part of the forest, as was Link.

The teen knelt in front of the chest, not caring that it dirtied his jeans. The moist earth seeping into the denim felt more like a cleansing than anything, connecting him to the forest and the fairy even further.

The wood of the chest opened smoothly and slowly as Link revealed the contents with an almost reverence. Inside, folded neatly, was a deep green tunic, brown boots, a belt, a baldric, and a sword.

Link pulled them out and felt the light fabric of the tunic, a peaceful smile on his lips.

"Link?" He looked up as the blue fairy addressed him. "You should know, taking these clothes are a promise to belong to the forest. Many adventures await you, should you agree, but you are biased now."

The blonde frowned as his memories were restored, his job, his life, his friends, all of it. The tunic nearly fell from his hands as he staggered backward. The feel of worry and stress had been forgotten in the blissful forest. The foremost of worries on his mind was the loss of Saria, and the rapidly shrinking window of time he and his friend had together. He could already feel the separation and loss, the forest amplifying emotions, both good and bad, in a supernatural way, as though the trees were the walls in a theatre, created to reflect feelings and help them grow.

He fell to his knees as more memories rushed back, things he'd forgotten about long ago. The Meadow the first time he and Saria had found it, it had looked to his young mind just as this mystical one appeared to him now. The voice and face of his late mother reading to him about the Hero of winds when he was but three years old even surfaced in his mind and tears fell to the dirt before him before he realised his eyes stung with tears.

"Link!" The fairy appeared in front of him suddenly, breaking his focus away from the tide of emotion and visions of the past. "Be strong, the forest will help you."

The feeling of trust in the fairy had never wavered, so he reached out to the trees with his mind. Slowly, he began to calm and breathe.

"Great things await you, Link." The fairy told him. "Not all of them good, but all of them are more real than anything you've ever experienced. The choice is yours, Hero. You must chose to seek your destiny, or let it be forgotten in the chaos of your life as it is."

The forest around him began to fade, shadows filling it and the sun dissipating. The tunic slipped through his fingers as he stood in alarm when the fairy began to fade as well.

"Wait! Who are you!?" He called, the dissolution of the dream dissolving the wordless trust in the fae as well.

"A friend." The fairy told him with confidence. "You'll know more if you follow your heart, just find the courage to do so!"

He was enveloped in black for several moments, a keen sense of loss lingering as the vibrancy of the sanctuary was lost.

Slowly his eyes opened to a world that now seemed drained of colour. He looked around, seeking it. The orange of the sunset seemed pastel and fake to him now, the bottled lights no more than foggy glass filled with lifeless, forgotten spirits.

Taking it all in as the dream lingered him his mind and his heart, only two things were coloured and real to him. Saria, his dearest friend, the green of her hair vibrant as anything, and that one bottle, the blue one he'd fallen asleep looking to, shone with the same luminance the fairy had. Somehow he knew the fairy was real and that she was watching and waiting for him.

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><p><strong>Wow. That was a very spiritual experience for me, forget Link! Special thanks to the Peter Crowley music album Fantasy Dream that carried me through Link's, well, fantasy dream. You can find his incredible music on youtube. Also, a huge thank you to ThisAccountHasBeenDeletedNow for their helpful review! <strong>

**I need feedback so please leave comments, both positive and negative! It helps me grow as a writer and it helps you to read a better story! **

**Thanks so much for reading**

**~Sage of the Chuchus**


	4. 森の島 Forest Island

Saria looked at him with worried blue eyes as Link stood, looking around as if he'd lost something incredibly important.

"Link!" She popped up and grabbed his arm, stopping the excited teen mid-turn.

"Saria!" his hand found hers and squeezed it tightly so she hugged him, sensing a great unease coming from him.

It took a few minutes to calm him down, but when he did he whispered "Okay."

His friend backed up to look at his face. "Okay?"

"Let's find your island."

It took a few seconds for Saria to process his words, but when she did her eyes lit up with pure joy. "Really!? But you said it wasn't possible."

"I know, but I- I had a dream just now..." as he proceeded to tell her about the dream, Link noticed the colour returning to the world, so he went on. She was overjoyed that he shared his experience and tried desperately to understand the way he described the feeling of the experience. He appreciated that she didn't question the plausibility of a real dream like that or his faith and determination acquired from it. She understood him, making him feel guilty he'd ever doubted her faith in their ability to do what they now were going to.

They discussed plans until the sun set, the goal seemed more and more achievable by the moment, like a great strategy in a game of capture-the-flag they played as kids on school trips. The two would always carry the rest of their teams when they worked together, Link having a good sense of offence and Saria easily thinking of defence. When pitted against each other, games could last for an eternity, Saria's flag too well hidden and Link's assessment of his and the other team allowing each player to be used to the best advantage. It seemed that together, any problem could be solved.

They kept talking as they removed all the fairy bottles from the trees so as not to litter and when they had finished Saria handed him the fake candle from one of the bottles. Its blue light didn't seem to be faded from a drained battery like the others, it was still vibrant. "I noticed you looking at that one a lot." Saria mentioned as he looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "It's the fairy one."

He nodded and looked at the candle, picking up a couple of bags filled with bottles at take to Saria's house and display in her room or store somewhere, he'd not asked. "Thank you."

Saria herself carried some bags and nodded, "Of course. It's special to you, and me in a way, too." She giggled. "It marks the start of our great adventure and our guide. Like a compass!"

"Or a Navigation system." He agreed, then paused. Saria looked at him, puzzled. "Sorry, I just remembered I never got her name."

Saria thought about that "Well, I think 'The Fairy' works for now, considering we've never known another one. When you see her again you can ask."

Link's friend sounded positive they'd meet again, and some of her confidence filled him as well. Suddenly, as if struck by lightning, Link had a solution to one of the few remaining problems of their trip: Actually navigating to the island no one had information on.

"Saria, what if Professor. Gullon had a chart of the old sea? The Rito used to all be post workers, right? They'd probably need charts to stay oriented."

"Link, that's brilliant!"

And so the next day they found themselves on their teacher's doorstep, having made several calls and begged a fair few of the receivers. After Link had finally gotten up they'd begun to track down anything they could find on the Rito, and it seemed their quest was at an end.

Link knocked three times and they waited in silence, the beautiful and large yard filled with birds eating from feeders and playing in bird baths. After several minutes the door was pulled open by a young Rito boy of no more than ten who looked up at them wearily.

Link didn't really know what to tell the child, but Saria had his back. "Hello! I'm Saria and this is Link. We're students of Professor Gullon, is he home?"

"Daddy's in the kitchen…" The child muttered, returning into the home and leaving the door open for them. Saria and Link left their shoes at the (closed) door and followed until a kind-looking rito with a long white ponytail greeted them. "Hello, I'm Mrs. Gullon. My husband will be busy for just a few minutes, please take a seat in the living room."

She pointed them to the room so they went in and sat down. The child Rito was curled up on a beanbag, playing a game on the tv, one Link recognized. The child seemed to be having difficulty, as the controller was not designed for the talon-like rito fingernails. Link smiled sympathetically.

"You know, they have different control configurations in the menu screen. You can play around until it feels more comfortable." He suggested.

The boy blinked at him for long enough to make Link feel more than awkward, then pulled up the menu and did as the teen had suggested. "You have elf ears." was the child's reaction, though the tips of his own ears came to a slight point.

"I'm not an elf…" Link muttered dejectedly.

Saria laughed next to him. "You'd think you were another species or something." She whispered, examining her friends' defined feature. Pointed ears were becoming less and less popular as the ancient blood they came from had become far less than prevalent. Ears as long as Link's were nearly unheard of outside of a fantasy race called elves, popular in video games and books, and even Saria's shorter ones stood out in a crowd. She'd always been proud of the unique characteristic, but Link had always felt awkward when his genetic abnormality was pointed out.

After trying a few different configurations, the child nodded in contentment. "It's a lot easier now!" He said happily.

"I bet." Link agreed, having noticed a drastic change in the child's control in-game. "You can even find special controllers online adapted to Rito hands, look it up sometime." Too absorbed in his new advantage, the child didn't really hear the suggestion.

"Link? Saria?" Professor Gullon had arrived, standing in the doorway.

Both teens jumped at the voice, half expecting to need to answer a question. The teacher laughed and sat down in an armchair adjacent to the couch they'd claimed.

"Hi, Professor!" Saria greeted cheerfully.

The Rito raised an eyebrow. "Hello. What can I thank for the unexpected company?" he asked skeptically.

"We're looking for a chart of the Great Sea." Link told him.

The teacher immediately seemed intrigued. "Oh? For the assignment I gave you?"

"Er, no, actually." Link looked at Saria.

The girl smiled. "No, we're going to find an island."

Professor Gullon seemed amused. "The sea calls to you, does it?"

"Something like that." Link replied, fingering the candle in his jacket pocket.

"Avin, get my special map, please." The teacher told his son. "Carefully!" He added as Avin paused the game and set off at a sprint so as to return to his game more quickly.

"So, you have one?" Saria asked hopefully.

The professor nodded. "Yes, but it's so fade in places it's unreadable. The Hero of Winds used it. Fish all over the sea drew in each sector of it, I imagine their handwriting was no help to its illegibility." he looked at Link as he said it, but the teen seemed lost in thought and offered no protest to the prospect of magic fish. Satisfied, he took the retrieved map from his impatient son and spread it on the coffee table before them.

"Wow…" Saria breathed as the map's appearance made its age evident.

The owner was evidently proud. "The rito never used maps, we have a good sense of direction, but my distant relative rescued this chart and preserved it as an artifact." Link looked at the map, leaning over it to try and decipher the many notes written on the aged parchment. "Can you read it? The writing is almost as bad as your own." the rRito teased.

"Not really." Link chuckled. "The characters look really weird, so that doesn't help."

"An outdated style of lettering." The birdman agreed.

Saria pointed, being careful not to touch the paper itself. "Look, it says 'forest' here, I think!"

All three of them looked closer. Even Avin paused his game and came over, deciding that something his father was so engaged in had to be interesting.

"Yep. Forest." He declared.

Link smirked. "Oh?"

"It's forest." Avin told him stubbornly.

"Could we copy this, or would that ruin it?" Saria asked, smiling as if she'd won the lottery.

"I have a scanner in my office." And so it was that the four of them went to his office and made a copy of the ancient map.

The students were about to leave when Professor Gullon stopped Link. He mentioned Saria to give them privacy, so she did.

"Link, why the sudden trip?" He asked.

The blonde shrugged. "We decided to go to celebrate our last summer together." he felt saying it, but it was true. That and chasing down a fairy in a dream, but the professor didn't need to know that.

"Your blood is catching up with you." The rito observed, nodding to Link's ears. "I wish you well on your journey. Keep Saria safe." he smiled in a way that made Link a bit skeptical, but before he could start on the blood comment the teacher clapped him on the shoulder and returned inside.

The next few days were spent gathering all the supplies the two would need that they couldn't get at the post. They were pretty far inland and planned to take the train out to the shore where Saria's family boat...thing. Link wasn't quite sure that it was, exactly. They ended up with two suitcases each and Saria had an extra backpack.

Link's grandmother drove them to the train station and fussed over the both of them until Link had promised they'd be safe at least fifty times.

Once finally on the train, they sat back in their compartment and relaxed. Since it would be an overnight journey, they had gotten a compartment with beds and were soon sitting on the same one, talking about all the things they still had to do and what it would be like to finally make it out to sea.

Link hadn't been sailing for years, though he'd loved it the times he'd gone. His grandpa had taught him how to sail when he was younger and he'd done some research, determined to be a good enough sailor that they wouldn't need to be ferried.

Unfortunately, it didn't work out quite like that.

They arrived at the harbor and after waiting around for half an hour, Saria sighed. Her uncle was supposed to pick them up and lead them to the docks, but he was nowhere to be seen. "He's so unreliable." She told Link as they set off to the most likely place they'd find him: the local milk bar. It was hard rolling two large luggage containers each over the peir, and Saria struggled even though Link took her extra bag.

When they reached the bar, Link was left outside to guard the bags and Saria went inside.

She found her uncle sitting forlornly over a glass of whole milk and put a hand to her face, knowing already that he'd lost a fair amount of money if her deduction was correct.

"Hey, Uncle." she said, putting a hand on his shoulder. The man practically fell out of his chair and turned on her in alarm. "Wha- Saria?" He asked in surprise.

"Yep. Uncle, you were supposed to take us down to your boat, remember?" she looked more disappointed than mad, which made the older man uncomfortably guilty.

He was a tall man with a thin moustache and goatee. He also wore a traditional blue captain's coat and a plain blue button-up, though both were thoroughly creased from negligence.

"Er… was that today?" he tried futilely.

"Yes. Link is waiting outside,"

her uncle narrowed his eyes. "Who is this Link character? He'll be on my boat after all."

Saria smiled, though she was disappointed her uncle was so far out of the loop. "He's my best friend, I've known him for as long as I can remember…"

"Hm… Well, better meet the kid." The man grunted, looking longingly at his glass. He sighed and got up, digging through his pockets and pulling out a handful of rupees. He blinked at the gems and slowly picked out a couple of them to toss on the counter.

The bartender glared as a few of them clattered onto the floor.

Saria's uncle left but the girl lingered, putting some of her own rupees on the counter with a smile at the tender.

Outside, Link stepped back a bit as a man came out, squinting in the sunlight. He smiled, giving the man a lot of space. He wasn't one to judge, but the man seemed to give off a 'stay out of my way' vibe, so that's what the teen did.

"Link?" Saria came out behind the man, standing a bit too close for Link to assume they had no relation.

"Linebeck, I presume?" Link asked the man, who squinted at him.

"Yeah... Luke?"

"Link." Saria corrected with an apologetic smile.

"Hey, kid. How well do you follow directions?" Linebeck asked, leaning over the shorter boy. Link came to 5' 6", while this man hit maybe 5' 11".

Link backed up half a step. "Er… Well, I guess."

"You guess what?"

Saria chuckled. "He meant he follows directions well."

"Good! Then let's go." Linebeck was off, surprisingly more stable than Link had expected him to be. The teen sighed and picked up the bags he was charged with whilst Saria grabbed hers and tugged them behind her, catching up to her uncle quickly. Link trotted after, lingering behind a bit.

"Thank you so much for letting us use your boat." Saria told Linebeck.

The man glanced down at her somewhat awkwardly. "Yeah, well, you're family and what not. Figured I should probably help you out. So long as you and Larry stay out of my way there won't be any problems."

Saria paused on the sidewalk. "You're coming with us?"

Linebeck laughed. "Obviously! You think I'm going to leave my boat in the hands of a few kids?"

She laughed awkwardly. "Oh, right. Makes sense." She slowed down to be in sync with Link, who raised an eyebrow at her worried look. "We're going to have some… company on our trip."

"Your uncle?"

"Yes." She sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Hey, it's fine." He smiled. "I was actually worried about handling a boat by myself." he admitted.

"Ahoy, lovebirds!" They two had stopped on the pier and Linebeck had called to them from the deck of his boat.

Link looked up at the captain and raised an eyebrow.

The ship was a mess with peeling paint and splintered wood. It looked like someone had been barely keeping it together, like a tattered child's blanket for which sewing had long ago been lost as an option for repair.

"Uh... " Link couldn't make out the cracked and faded lettering, but he saw something resembling 'S. L eb k',

Saria laughed nervously. "Well, at least it's floating."

"It's enough for me." Link said, suddenly feeling optimistic. "Come on, Saria!" The childish feeling from the dream forest surfaced, giving him the push he needed.

Saria wasn't convinced until she saw the look in his eye. "Okay!" She agreed, tugging her luggage towards the worn boat. Link fell in half a step behind,

Once boarded they left port quickly, Link following Linebeck's instructions while SAria stood at the bow looking out over the sea.

Luckily, the weathered captain had prepared for their journey, stocking up blankets, food, water, and the like for the trip and had had it loaded before they got there. Link and Saria paid their share of it. Now all that was left to put away was their luggage, which had been left on the deck during the excitement of leaving.

"Alright, kid." Linebeck told Link once they were steady and on-course."It's about time you got all this stuff down to your room." he said, nudging one of Saria's bags with his toe.

"Wait, as in singular room?" He asked, looking at Linebeck with wide eyes.

The seaman chuckled "Didn't think I would trust you? I don't care what you do, just keep it quiet." he said, as if doing Link a favor.

"Sir, we're just friends." Link said, glancing at Saria who was still content staring over the railing.

The captain raised an eyebrow. "Well, sharing a room might fix that."

"No." Link shook his head. "There's no 'fixing' it. Saria should have her own room."

Linebeck almost seemed threatened. "There are only two bedrooms!"

"Then I'll sleep elsewhere."

The captain sighed in relief. "Well, alright then. You can tuck yourself pretty much anywhere you like."

"Is there a problem?" Saria asked, coming to join the conversation at the wheel.

Link shook his head at the same time Linkbeck assured :not at all."

"So, where are we all sleeping?" she asked, picking up one of hersuitcases.

"You've a room below deck." The captain told her.

"Okay!' she turned to Link. "What about you?"

Knowing she would just make a big deal out if it, Link shoulk his head. "Your uncle was going ot show me."

Funny thing about being raised with someone: you can read them quite well.

"Link." she scolded. Linkbeck tried to excuse himself but she snagged the end of his coat.

"I'll find somewhere." the teen said, unable to look her in the eye.

She turned a skeptical eye to her uncle. "You didn't give him a place to sleep?" she asked sadly.

The older man shifted uncomfortably under her disappointment. "Well, I did. Something came up is all." he grunted, trying to sound lke he didn't care either way.

"Well, we could share, Link." she suggested, looking down shyly. She hoped he didn;t think it would be weird.

"Saria, you deserve your own room." he tried to argue.

She gave him a look that clearly said 'don't try to pull noble crap on me'. "YOU deserve a room just as much as I."

"I couldn't just-"

"The kid can share my room if it will stop you bickering." Linebeck announced suddenly, taking Link and Saria both by surprise. The captain folded his arms. "Really, it's a stupid room."

And so it was that Link ended up tucking his things under an end table beside the couch he'd be sleeping on. A quick dinner had revealed that all three of the ship's occupants were ready to turn in, and the younger passengers gave a hug goodnight. Saria gave Linebeck a peck on the cheek for his sacrifice and the boys returned to the captain's quarters.

Link pulled off his shirt and stretched leaving Linebeck to roll his eyes as he buttoned his pyjama shirt. Silk, by the look of it. "Get a shirt on, Boy." He told Link, who smirked.

"Distracted?" he teased, happy to be on the sea and away from the city on an adventure with his closest friend and her crazy uncle.

"Don't get any funny ideas." Linebeck glared, obviously not amused. "It gets colder than hell in here. Last time I give you advice."

Link shrugged, pulling out a plain t-shirt from his bag. "Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you."

"I'm not that shallow, no matter what you may hear." the captain assured. "Though, I feel I should ask: You're obviously close,and that hug was more than casual, but you're not with Saria? Are you…?"

Link chuckled. "No, Saria and I just grew up like siblings, I look at her as a sister. She feels the same."

"Things change." Linebeck warned. "Not like I care about your little teen tragedy, I just feel depressed by your ignorance. You say she doesn't like you, but have you ever asked?"

Link shook his head. "She basically told me-"

Linebeck pointed at him. "But you've never asked?"

"I've never had reason to." Link said, starting to get irritated.

Linebeck chuckled. "She'd say yes. Even if she herself thinks she wouldn't, she'd agree if you asked."

"Well, I'm not going to ask." Link was glaring now.

"Suit yourself. You're missing out on good blood." Linebeck chuckled and laid down.

Link rolled his eyes and turned off the lamp on the table beside him, the last light in the room. Curled up in blankets, he was left to his thoughts. Saria was never a concern, they both agreed on that, but his mind strayed to Zelda and if she would say yes.

He decided he'd just have to find out once he got home and asked her out.

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><p><strong>Hey! Thanks for reading, my friends. I'm doing very well with this story, surprisingly. You're great motivation. Thank you for the reviews, I really appreciate the feedback. Reviews with what I'm doing well and what I am not will help both of us. I hope you enjoyed!<strong>


	5. All aboard!

**A/N: Playing with some theories in this chapter. If anyone has questions, please review or PM them to me and I'll reply ASAP. Sorry it took so long to getup, I got inspiration for later in the story and worked on that for awhile. Also, it appears 9 words are missing from the copy-and-paste. Sorry about that, I'll go over it later and try to fix it. Please leave your thoughts, criticisms, praise, and verbal abuse in a review or even PM me if you want to get personal. Just know I'm liable to settle any disputed IN SMASH. Or, if possible, in a Duel Monsters Duel... **

* * *

><p>He next morning was worse than any time Link had slept in before, which was saying something. The very last time he'd slept past 11:00 Saria and Aryll had pulled him down the stairs. Literally. Saria felt his sleeping habits were unhealthy and Aryll, as siblings do, thought it was funny to hold any sort of power over her older brother.<p>

But he'd never before gotten the ice water treatment and he learned never to mess with Linebeck after that morning. When he was first addressed he heard 'brat' and, having never been called such a thing, assumed the gruff voice was not addressing him.

"Kid, up. Now." was as close to 'good morning' as he would ever get on Linebeck's ship and this time Link had barely stirred at the command, his mind, body, and heart alike were gently flashing mellow blue warning lights telling him to go back to sleep, so he didn't look any farther and almost succeeded until a rude voice drew him closer to awareness with a rude snarled 'last chance!'

Exactly ten seconds later, though it seemed an hour at least to Link, he was on the floor gasping, water soaking every inch of his hair and dripping onto the uneven floorboards beneath him. The air was freezing, an ice cube had hit his nose en route to the floor, and his arms were covered in goosebumps. Linkbeck seemed amused at how he was visibly shaking and would later say it was one of the bright spots in his morning.

Link quickly pulled off the soaked t-shirt and lobbed it at Linebeck's head on the captain's way out but fell short several feet. With a great sigh Link stood, hugging himself tightly. Only then did he notice that the tiny window was letting no light into the room.

vaguely remembering a small clock on Linebeck's nightstand, he walked over to the thing and nearly cried when he read the time. 4:56 AM.

No use crying over spilt milk(even if it was delicious LonLon milk) Link supposed and got dressed in jeans(unfortunately the warmest pants he had), a t-shirt, hoodie, and coat, as he was still shivering.

He met Linebeck in the galley and slumped into a seat at the table where a mug was already waiting for him. He sniffed it cautiously while Linebeck's back was turned and wrinkled his nose at the smell. He'd been raised on tea at his grandmother's insistence, so coffee seemed too strong next to her herbal mix and too bitter next to the soda he had an unfortunate attachment to.

"Goddesses, you look like a zombie, Boy." Linebeck noted, sitting across from him with a half-filled mug. "You'll need that" He nodded at the mug in front of Link.

Link took a sip and it only soured his mood, but he remained polite nonetheless. "Thank you."

Linebeck leaned his chair back and rested his feet on the rickety wooden table. "Meh. Whatever... I need to talk to you about our course and what not. You're going to the Great Sea?"

Link really didn't feel this was the time, but nodded reluctantly. "Right."

"Well, if I weren't going out there already I wouldn't bother, but as it is, I'm meeting… Someone. Anyway, there are a few places I refuse to go on the Great Sea. First is that old fortress place. Secondly, Headstone Island. Five-Star Isles, Star Belt Archipelago, Greatfish Isle, Crescent Moon Island, Diamond Steppe Isle, Bomb Island, and Spectacle Island are places I won't go at nighttime. Finally, the Blessed Triangle. "

_A few?! _Link didn't know anything about any of these places and didn't even bother trying to keep track, but he shrugged. "Okay… What's the Blessed Triangle?"

"People call it blessed, but weird stuff happens there. Boats go missing, people go there and come back spouting nonsense about the statues on the triangle islands. Pirates or some cult probably live there and freak people out, I don't want any part of it."

Link nodded, agreeing to avoiding the somewhat ominous-sounding gibberish until a thought occurred to him. "Hold on, I thought the Great Sea was more or less forgotten about? How do you know so much about it?"

"My ancestor sailed it when he was young." The captain replied with a shrug. "Explored all over and kept a journal. Eventually he joined a pirate crew and moved closer to the Realm of the Sea King. I read the journals but they got weird after some accident with the pirates, a year or two was missing then it started up again talking about some kid he ferried around and a magic hourglass. He drank sea water, most likely." Linebeck seemed almost disappointed with his ancestor for some reason.

"Seems a little odd." Link agreed reluctantly, unsure how he felt about taking advice from a long-dead relative of Linebeck who talked about magic hourglasses. "But okay. Why can't we go to any of the other places?"

Linebeck took a long sip of his coffee. The truth was that the journals had mentioned rumors of a ghost ship haunting the Great Sea at night. His ancestor had tracked it in his youth, hearing of a treasure on board, and had even started to track the ship, recording the pattern he found. He'd left an entry saying he'd discovered how to get on board it, but the journal never described his experience on the ship or mentioned it again until his adventures in the Realm of the Ocean King with that one boy. It was referred to as 'it' for most of the log until one entry near the end of his final journal. "My crewmates are laid to rest: The Ghost Ship is gone." Though vague clues could point to that ship being a second Ghost ship. the late Linebeck's companion and his fairy were only referred to as 'The Boy' and variants of 'that annoying pipsqueak' or 'the stupid fairy' and were never named except for one mention of the boy's name that the current Linebeck for the life of him couldn't remember. Any information from the kid's bloodline had proven irretrievable because of the vagueness, though no one had tried very hard on account of there being reference of a /fairy/. Linebeck, though skeptical o his relative's claims that fairies existed, had taken his cryptic lack of informational entries as a warning to avoid any sort of ghost ship in general. THe mere thought of encountering one sent shivers down his spine.

Despite this, the sailor shrugged. "They're just sketchy places. Not a lot is known about the Great Sea considering most people moved to the Realm of the Sea King or to New Hyrule, and-" the captain blinked. "I don't have to explain myself to you, Boy. We're not going to any of those places."

Though the topic interested Link, who had a soft spot for puzzles and mysteries, he let it drop in respect of Linebeck's avoidance of the topic. No need to push the Ice Master, as Link suddenly dubbed Linebeck. Where the captain had even found ice was a mystery itself. "Where's Saria?"

Linebeck once more took a sip of coffee and Link self-consciously mirrored him, noting the scalding hotness that numbed some of the taste was fast-fleeting. "Sleeping, like any sane girl."

The news nearly made Link do a spit-take, that he was forced to be up when Saria was sound asleep. "Wait, what!?"

"She'd just be in the way, the longer she sleeps the better." The man didn't meet Link's eyes and he could sense something was off.

"What really happened?" He asked, worried about his friend and suddenly suspicious of Linebeck..

The captain frowned, sensing the borderline hostility. Romantically or not, Link cared about his niece a lot. "She got seasick last night, came in while you were dead to the world." he leveled a glare that Link easily read as irritation that the teen couldn't deal with his sick friend himself. Link wanted to point out that Linebeck was her uncle and captain and that he must be at least partly responsible for his passenger's well-being.

"What happened?" Link pressed, deciding that Saria's state was much more important than provoking Linebeck, who rolled his eyes.  
>"I gave her some ginger and told her to get some sleep." Linebeck said as if confused about what Link's accusatory tone. "Did you think I'd kick her on her ass and lock the door?"<p>

The images of Saria gnawing on a hunk of root Linebeck gave her and the captain doing exactly that fought for dominance in the teen's mind. He wouldn't put either past the man. "No." he said fibbing for safety's sake.

Linebeck narrowed his eyes. "Speaking of seasickness, the candy's in the cupboard above the sink."

"Candy?" Now Link was just plain confused.

"Ginger candy." Linebeck drew out the words slowly, as if addressing a young shrimplet.

Link blinked in realization. "Oh, right. Thanks."

The captain gave him a weird look. "I want you out on deck soon, there's food if you want, make whatever you like." The heavy clomp of boots followed the captain out to the deck and Link began searching for edible things in the cupboards and not finding much.

A few hours later found Link in the engine room helping to keep the mess of an engine together. So far, no major problems had been experienced but Linebeck assured Link that it was only a matter of time.

"Ship can't handle long journeys very well." He said with a shrug, motioning for a wrench and giving the machinery a good-natured slap.

Link handed it over and smiled. "Well, she may not handle too well right now, but maybe we'll find a treasure somewhere on the sea, you can repair her."

Linebeck's eyes lit up in an almost eerie way at the word treasure and Link found the captain too close for comfort in an instant. "You think there are riches out there, Boy? Where?"

"I don't know, it was just an optimistic thought." He explained, stepping back.

"Oh… Well keep those to yourself."

"Uncleee? Liiiink?" Saria called nearby, breaking the awkward scene.

"In here!" Both males answered, looking up. They were glad to have someone asides from each other as company.

Saria found them quickly, giving both a smile and her uncle a kiss on the cheek that he didn't quite know what to think of. "Morning Link, Uncle!"

"Hi, Saria. Feeling any better?" Link asked, giving her a one-armed hug.

"Much, thank you" She smiled and returned to hug in full. Linebeck felt obliged to raise an eyebrow suggestively at Link over the green-haired girl's shoulder. The blond merely glared.

"We're making good time and will continue to do so if you don't mess anything up." He nodded at Link whose glare deepened. One moment Linebeck was opening up to him and relating his past, the next he was irritable and contemptuous again. Was it Saria's presence or just thick pride?

"Curmudgeon." Link grinned as the captain clomped up the stairs and Saria tried to protest his choice of words, her argument rendered invalid on account of her inability to conceal a giggle.

"Hey, did you happen to bring an instrument?" He asked, fitting a cover over a panel on the engine.

Saria frowned. "No, I didn't think to." The machinery to the side of the pair made a thumping noise followed by a resonant groan."The engine's about as good as I am though."

"You know that's not true." he scolded. "You play like-"

"Shit! Hey, kids. We're docking up ahead. The engine's about to blow out…" Linebeck yelled from upstairs. "It needs to cool down. Get your asses up here."

"Okay!" Saria yelled back while Link glanced at the engine wearily.

Saria and he went above deck quickly, each wondering what kind of island they would visit first. Neither one expected the sight they saw from the deck.

The island was an odd mix of past and present with traditional huts clustered around a large concrete structure that resembled a cartoonish science lab. The lab was a large grey square broken only by a barred steel door, a singular tiny window far up on the wall, and three tall white smokestacks spouting green, red, and yellow smoke respectively. The huts were all small and circular save for one large one decorated with vibrant shades of purple, green, orange, yellow, and red. The dock jutting out from the heart-shaped isle docked a clunky, metal research ship and a small wooden houseboat that looked older than even Linebeck's ship and carried the same color scheme as the main hut. Several odd masks lined the side of it like viking shields on longboats.

"I can't believe this!" Saria laughed, looking at the odd mesh of time the island presented.

Link nodded but Linebeck scoffed. "That grey building is ugly as hell, and look at what they're putting into the air!"

"I didn't take you for an environmentalist." Link said, smiling.

Linebeck rolled his eyes. "I live off the sea and you'd have to be blind not to see the changes in it these last few decades. The weather's been crazy too, and it's not fisherman that are doing it. The whole world is headed that way though. I try to stick on the sea to avoid it and actually catch a breath of fresh air when I get away from cities and stuff like this. No TVs or Game… kids… for me."

"Gameboys?" Link asked, prompting Saria to elbow him. She knew the systems had been outdated for years now, but there was no point in enlightening Linebeck to that.

The captain seemed to agree. "Sure. Not that it makes any difference to me. Plastic beepy things have no real worth."

Link looked about to argue but Saria cut him off. "It's good you can get away. Sailing seems pretty good for that.'

"Sometimes." linebeck shrugged.

They pulled up to the dock(the engine with several sounds of protest) and first thing Link vaulted over the railing, landing gracefully on the deck several feet below.

"Show off!" Saria laughed, waiting patiently for her uncle to set out a plank. She joined Link as he scanned the whole of the island critically.

"It's no small." He pointed out. "I could probably run the length of it, there's no way it's longer than one or two miles."

"You're athletic though." Saria pointed out.

"But still. Think of it- spending your entire life within a few city blocks, looking out to the sea and thinking 'what's out there?'"

"Link, we did that." Saria laughed.

He grinned. "But we have a boat!"

She put her hands on her lips and was about to point out the two docked vessels when Linebeck strode past them. "Alright, lovebirds. Let's see what kind of back-island crazies we docked next to."

The three walked out onto the wide field of the island, the small habitat only having a few trees and with the buildings clustered in the center.

There was no disturbance until they were a few dozen yards from the outermost hut, when a smacking sound startled them all,

Link was the first to see the cause. A green, gelatinous blob. "What is that?" he asked Saria. She shrugged, watching as it oozed towards them. Linebeck had walked on, unbothered by the teen's pause. "Well, it moves pretty slowly, let's just catch up to-"

The blob squelched, stretching upwards and swelling. Two bulbous yellow eyes emerged followed by a broad, dopey-looking smile. The thing wobbled, obviously topheavy, and gave a tiny hop towards them, it's jelly-like body jiggling with the impact.

Link laughed, putting a hand to his mouth as it trying not to offend it.

"Aw, he's cute!" Saria said, watching it wobble forward another jump. It stopped at her feet and she reached out a cautious hand, patting the odd creature.

Link watched, still holding back laughter. "What does it feel like?"

"Kinda like if you fill a sandwich bag with liquid. Like if I push my fingers through him he'll leak water."

Link stroked the thing, kneeling beside it. "Cool. He's cold too."

"Get BACK!" Linebeck yelled suddenly, Link jumping away from the thing instinctively. For a moment he closed his eyes, seeing a vision so real that he couldn't distinguish fact from fiction for a few terrifying moments.

_The creature hopped towards him and he backed away, feeling cold stone chill him through his tunic as his back hit a wall. He could see a sword across the room, lying uselessly on the ground. _

_The creature leapt at him, higher than before, and he put his arm up to knock it away. Where the green jelly touched his skin welt began to form and his cried out in pain, a searing pain spreading up his reddened and blister-covered arm. _

Saria looked up and gasped, looking at something behind Link. The blond heard a squeak from Linkbeck at the same time as he turned and found his entire field of vision filled with the most disturbing grin he'd ever seen.

"_Seems like you've befriended my little pet, haven't you?" _


End file.
